Tips: P&O Cruise - Iona
In September 2022, my husband I went on our first cruise to the Norwegian Fjords on Iona, and we LOVED it. We’ve already booked another cruise!
From a variety of research including joining Facebook groups, reading blogs, and my own experiences I’ve pooled together a list of tips and things to consider when traveling on Iona, and shared them here.
My tips -
Watch a YouTube video tour of Iona. There’s plenty of them out there and I watched several for Iona. Some may feel this spoils the surprise, but I found it really useful to understand exactly what to expect and how we might spend our time as the ship is very large (including 30 places to eat/drink, 4 pools, 18 whirlpools, a spa, an art gallery, a gin distillery, a library, a theatre, a cinema and a shopping area…) It also helps build anticipation for the holiday! I also downloaded a deck plan.
Log onto My Holiday and book things in advance. As soon as you’ve booked, P&O give you access to ‘My Holiday’ which enables you to make arrangements, including booking excursions, spa treatments, and (closer to your departure) speciality restaurants and entertainment.
Eat in the Main Dining Rooms (MDRs). Some people love a buffet, but it’s not for us. We don’t like queuing up while holding a tray, trying to balance our meals, trying to find a table, waiting for your partner to come find you at said table, etc. The MDR’s are silver service, included in your holiday, with great service and fantastic food. Including plenty for vegetarians. We ate in them almost every night (highly recommend Sindhu and The Olive Grove as well, for a little extra).
Do a little research on your ports. We didn’t personally book any excursions; at every port there were locals selling trips and there were buses and tour guides lined up, so we winged it a little. But have a look in advance; what do you want to see and do while you’re there? Do a little internet research and figure out a rough plan so that you’re not dazed, confused and unsure when you disembark each day.
Spend some time in the Grand Atrium. It really is beautiful, with sea views wherever you sit. There’s often a pianist playing and one night we did a silent disco (so, so much fun!). Also great just to sit and read or write or play games while sipping a Costa coffee or hot chocolate or cocktail or whatever you fancy.
Book the Lime Light Club. We booked into the Limelight Club for a little extra, which was fantastic, we enjoyed a great meal and fab entertainment from Jaymi Hensley.
Catch some live entertainment. In the seven days we were on board, we saw the house band (Pulse) perform several times, they were really good. Also watched a great production in the Headliners Theatre called ‘Festival’. Managed to get into the 7/10 Club - Gary Barlow is the musical director and it’s very popular, so get there early, for another live band. We also saw a great comedian Noel Brodie, caught the acrobatic show in the Sky Dome (amazing). Evenings on Iona were a lot of fun.
Decide in advance on your drinks package. I read that if you do this when you’re onboard, you miss out on the first day so have a think in advance. We went for the non-alcoholic package, which was totally worth it as we enjoyed Costa drinks, bottles of water, and many soft drinks. It also includes mixers (e.g. you order a whiskey and coke, the coke isn’t chargeable). We still had wine and/or cocktails/spirits every night but saved money Vs the alcoholic package so depends how much you drink. The prices were similar to the average pub so not bad at all.
Whirlpools are not that hot! I was really excited about sitting in a whirlpool, cruising along, watching the world pass us by but was disappointed to find the whirlpools weren't that warm. We didn’t have that warm weather so they’ll probably be lovely on a hot day but we found them cooler than expected and didn’t stay in that long. Take a rob with you to the side of the pool and if it’s cool, maybe also a winter hat!
Use the app onboard to book tables. We booked our meal in the MDRs most nights using the app, which is only available once you’re on board. I saw a few people complain in the FB group that they had to wait for dinner or the app didn’t work for them (it worked every time for me but I had to turn off my data). You can book in advance but also join a virtual queue which worked really well, including at breakfast.
Walk the whole outside perimeter of the ship on Deck 8. Even in bad weather, it’s lovely to be able to go around the whole ship, stretch your legs, get some sea air and spot land, if you can.
Plan your sea days ahead of time. We were expecting two sea days but ended up with three due to bad weather preventing us docking at our last port. Have a think in advance what you’ll do on these days, especially if the weather isn’t great. There’s plenty to do on board, but you might also want to take books or games or other hobbies. Book into the spa. Maybe you’d like to try a deck game or go for a swim. Make that the night you catch a show or join a quiz. I enjoyed reading, a facial, some writing, and a wander through the shops - some great bargains were had in Pandora ;)